How Are You Building Your Life

1 Corinthians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  36:36
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A man worked for a road crew. One day he woke up ill with a touch of laryngitis but being a dedicated employee he went to work.
The boss felt sorry for him and didn’t want him to do any physical labor although they were repairing a part of the freeway.
He said to the worker, “Why don’t you go down the road and tell people to slow down going through the construction?”
The worker is glad for the easy day and does as instructed. He stops the first vehicle that comes along. “Sir,” he whispers, his throat feeling worse, “Please slow down, there’s a road crew up ahead.”
“Okay,” the driver whispers back, “I’ll try not to wake them.”

Historical/Cultural Context -

Paul preached the gospel in Corinth in the early 50s AD during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18). When opposition grew fierce there, the Lord Jesus spoke to him in a vision assuring him that he had ‘many people’ in the city (Acts 18:10). With this encouragement, Paul stayed on for eighteen months, ‘teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:11). God used Paul’s ministry to bring about the birth and establishment of the church in Corinth.

Biblical Text -

1 Corinthians 3:9–17 NKJV
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Building Our Life In Christ We Must Be Careful, Build With Humility & Remember Building Wrongly Has Consequences.

Life Point- Be Careful How You Build Your Life

Exegetical -

1 Corinthians 3:9–11 NKJV
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Homiletical -

This portion of scripture is one that is read often, preached often and glossed over often.
I will not try to preach something you have never heard before, but through the power of God my hope is that you will catch the deepness of this passage in application to your life.
Paul says that we are God’s fellow workers.
remember from last week that Paul is calling the Corinthian church out for following men, not God. He asked who is Paul; and who is Apollos?
He says that they are nothing but workers with God. For it is God who gives the increase. It is God who causes the growth, the change, the regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
He says that the ministers in this situation are fellow workers with God.
You also, today, are fellow workers in sharing the Gospel of Christ. If you’re not doing it, then you are not working with God. You are not relying on the power of God to changer people’s lives.
You also, today, are fellow workers in sharing the Gospel of Christ. If you’re not doing it, then you are not working with God. You are not relying on the power of God to changer people’s lives. It is our responsibility to spread the good news. If it weren’t then He would probably just take those that are saved immediately to heaven.
But it doesn’ happen like that. It takes people doing God will in sharing the news of Christ for salvations to take place.
Romans 10:13–17 NKJV
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Matthew 28:16–20 NKJV
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Paul now likens the church to a field and a building.
1 Corinthians 3:9 NKJV
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
Paul then says that he was a wise master-builder. He laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ, and another builds on it. Then he says to the leaders and to the laymen of this church. Be careful how you build on that foundation. Because you can’t lay a different one.
Think about this, if you try to build something on the foundation of Christ, but you build the wrong building that doesn’t go with that foundation, it will fall apart and fail.
You don’t poor a foundation for 950 sq. ft and then try to build a building with 1200 sq ft. It won’t work.
Too many times people get all caught up in the flesh and want to build Christianity on human wisdom and ideas. So what happens? They try to lay a new foundation on top of what has already been laid. That is not a good idea either.
You will make a mess of everything if you do that. The thing will look funny and break apart and it won’t be the simple truth of Christ, but it will be a man-made flesh filled deception.
It is the warning that Paul gave to Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:2–5 NKJV
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Illustration -

Speaking of foundations:
A couple had been debating the purchase of a new vehicle for weeks. He wanted a new truck. She wanted a fast little sports car so she could zip through traffic around town. He would probably have settled on any beat up old truck, but everything she seemed to like was way out of their price range.
"Look!" she said. "I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in 4 seconds or less. And my birthday is coming up. You could surprise me."
So, for her birthday, he bought her a brand new bathroom scale.
Services will be at Downing Funeral Home on Monday the 11th. Due to the condition of the body, this will be a closed casket service. Please send your donations to the "Think Before You Say Stupid Things To Your Wife Foundation," Minneola, Florida.

Life Point - Build With Humility

Exegetical -

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 NKJV
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Homiletical -

Did you know that salvation is a free gift, but what you build on that foundation will result in rewards in heaven. Or the lack thereof
All of our works as Christians and leaders in the church will be examined and based on those works are your rewards.
What kind of works? How about sharing the Gospel. Doing what God called you to do in your local church.
Also, you will suffer loss if you cause division, heartache and destruction of and in the church.
The church is not the building it is the people. Doing things good results in praise and reward, doing things wrong results in loss.
Matthew 25:31–40 NKJV
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
A church, a group of Christians in the local body of believers, that does not do righteous acts, but only talks about them is not fulfilling the call that Jesus has for them.
He didn’t say, “You brought the rich man into your congregation and got him to give” as a virtue.
He didn’t say, “You helped only those who come to your church on Sunday.” As a virtue either.
We give of our time, talent and money to those who need it, wanting nothing in return. This is Biblical life giving Christianity.
We don’t give to get. We give to give. We give because our hearts have been changed by the Holy Spirit and we wish to give.
When someone does something only to be praised by their fellow man, it was a good thing that became tainted by sin.
They gave, yes. But only to have their ego stroked.
We see an example and principle of this very thing, dealing with prayer.
Matthew 6:5–6 NKJV
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
1 Corinthians 3:13–15 NKJV
each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Your salvation as a Christian is a given. The foundation will remain, even if the rest of the house burns up.
Build on the foundation of Christ with the virtues or fruit of a changed life in Christ. Not out of selfishness, but out of selflessness.
Galatians 5:22–26 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Life Point - Building Wrongly Has Consequences

Exegetical -

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NKJV
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Homiletical -

Too often in Christianity we look at these two verses and apply them to individuals. While that application can be made. It is not accurate.
In the original language you and temple are in the plural.
It was actually talking about the church corporately. The local body of believers.
So let’s look at it again with this in mind.
Do you not know - You individually and as a group.
you are the temple of God - you individually and corporately. The church is God’s temple.
the Spirit of God dwells in you - you individually and corporately. The Spirit dwells amongst the church and in the individuals of the church.
if anyone defile the temple - Individually or a small group within the church. A subsection.
God will destroy him - individually
The temple of God is holy, which temple you are - You individually and corporately are the temple.
Think about what could defile a local body of believers, cause splits and arguments and divisions?
Historically we know the following, to name a few, have caused divisions:
Carpets
A/C
Worship Style
Personalities - As in following a man and his personality, not God
Outreaches
Adultery in leadership
Lack of programming
Do you know what it all comes down to?
Taking your eyes off Jesus and serving those outside the church with: 1) First and foremost the Gospel message and 2) meeting temporal needs, such as hunger, thirst, etc.
You see when a church, both leadership and laymen, take their eyes off the great commission and looking outwardly they immediately start looking inwardly for their preferences, their wants.
Then those wants become a big deal to them. They are no longer working corporately with all members in one direction, but now they have become about one issue that has no eternal value.
That one issue consumes them and they seek out others that they can get to take their eyes off of Jesus too.
Pretty soon you have chaos in the Church.
Now the works they are building will be wood, hay and straw and will be burned up, because those works are not done in Christ, they are not precious in His sight. They have no eternal value.
So what happens to a person or people like this? We read it a minute ago. “God will destroy him.”
What does that mean?
From the immediate context we don’t know. But it sure don’t sound good does it?
I have seen people who have done these things. Their lives, if there is no repentance, tend to be far from God after awhile.
Now we could go into more detail on that, but I will leave that for another time.
It is good enough to know that we don’t want to be the recipient of God’s destruction

Life Principle Building Our Life In Christ We Must Be Careful, Build With Humility & Remember Building Wrongly Has Consequences.

Call to Action – altar call….

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